Audio Nostalgia - Tascam 244 Portstudio

This is the start of a new series where I explore the products that I owned over the years, as I made my way along the road of my production journey. For some this will invoke their own memories of owning these products and for others just simple amazement that we managed to make anything decent with them.

The first step in my journey started when I was 17 yrs old, working in a music store and seeing a Tascam 244 Portastudio for the first time. From the moment I saw it I had to have one. Now if you are too young to remember you had better sit down. It was a 4 track cassette based recorder with a simple two band mixer and the worst DBX noise reduction ever - it sold for £1199 in 1983 - that’s around £2800.00 in today’s money. As I worked in the store I got it for £799, which I ‘borrowed’ from my Dad, paying him back at £50 a month. I think he got around half back in the end. I spent a fortune buying TDK SA90 tapes to record on.

Here’s the ‘full’ specification:

Analog IOs: 4 in 4 outOther IOs: 2 FX sends and a cue out

Busses/Subgroups: 2Aux sends: 2

Max tracks: four

Maximum Resolution:cassette tape

EQ: Hi/Lo Shelf

I was glued to the 244 for month after month, recording endless demos for me and my mates - I loved it and look back with fondness at it now and some of the songs I made. This was the start of a long journey which I am truly thankful for. More to come…